He was a minister twice in the governments led by EK Nayanari.
He was a minister twice in the governments led by EK Nayanari.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader and former minister T. Shivdas Menon (90) died at a private hospital in Kozhikode on Tuesday. He was undergoing treatment for age-related ailments.
His last rites will be performed on Wednesday morning at his daughter’s house in Manjeri. Sri Menon is survived by daughters Lakshmi and Kalyani.
Mr. Menon had held positions in the party’s state committee and secretariat. He was the Palakkad district secretary of the CPI(M) for a few years from 1980.
Elected to the Legislative Assembly from Malampuzha constituency in 1987, 1991 and 1996, Menon was a minister twice in the Left Democratic Front governments led by EK Nayanar. From 1987 to 1991, he was the Minister of Power and Rural Development. He held the portfolio of the principal finance minister from 1996 to 2001. He also excelled in the Assembly as Deputy Chief Whip of the Opposition.
Mr Menon’s electoral victories in the Assembly came after three successive failures in his Lok Sabha attempts from Palakkad in 1977, 1980 and 1984. When he was A. Sunnasahib, VS Vijayaraghavan defeated him in 1980 and 1984.
“But we were very good friends. Menon was a man of high integrity,” said Mr. Vijayaraghavan in his condolence message.
Born in 1932 to a wealthy family in Mannarkkad, Sri Menon was attracted to communist ideals and the revolutionary movement in Valluvanad. After obtaining a bachelor’s degree from the Government Victoria College, Palakkad, he obtained a B.Ed degree from the Government Training College, Kozhikode.
He worked as the headmaster at KTM High School, Mannarkkad until he resigned to contest the Lok Sabha elections in 1977. Shri Menon played an important role in strengthening the Communist Party in Mannarkkad and neighboring areas.
He was a syndicate member at the University of Calicut for a few years. His electoral campaign began in 1961 when he successfully fought his uncle in the Mannarkkad civic body election under the banner of the Communist Party. Mr Menon was known for his humorous use of Valluvandan slang mixed with Mapilla Malayalam.
He shifted his home to Palakkad when he became the district secretary of the CPI(M) in 1980. During his tenure as the District Secretary, he had to face the onslaught of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.
Mr Menon was brutally thrashed by the police during a march to the office of the District Police Chief in Palakkad to protest the police action against the tribals during the Muthanga movement. He received injuries on his head and hands and feet in the police action. When the police refused to take him to the hospital, Mr. Menon was taken to a cart by his party mates.